Pakistan at OIC

Pakistan values the OIC’s role and contribution as the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. As a founding member, it remains committed to the values and objectives of the Organization. In view of the Article 24 of its Constitution, promoting relations with the Muslim countries is a foreign policy priority.

Pakistan has been an active Member of the Organization. Pakistan hosted the Second OIC Summit Conference in February 1974 in Lahore. An Extraordinary OIC Summit was also held in Islamabad in 1997 on the occasion of Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee.

Pakistan has hosted the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) on four occasions (2nd Session-December 1970, 11th Session-May 1980, 21st Session-April 1993, and 34th Session-May 2007). 1st and 7th Extraordinary Sessions of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) were also convened in Islamabad in January 1980 & September 1994, respectively.

Pakistan is again going to host the 48th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in 2021. Being the prospective CFM Chair, Pakistan has also become Member of the OIC Executive Committee for three years, starting from 29 November 2020.

Pakistan has been leading the OIC Ambassadors Group in Geneva for many years. Pakistan’s pro-active role in Geneva has helped highlight the OIC positions on various issues of concern. In New York as well, Pakistan Mission takes active part in formulating and advocating OIC positions on important issues at the UN General Assembly and other bodies.

The headquarters of the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) is located in Islamabad.

The Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), an affiliated institution of OIC, is based in Karachi.

Pakistan is an active Member of the OIC Contact Groups on Jammu and Kashmir, Palestine, Somalia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Yemen, Aggression of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mediation and Muslims in Europe. In 2019, it also joined the Contact Group on Peace and Dialogue.

Pakistan remains a Member of the governing bodies of the several OIC subsidiary organs including (i) Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah (ii) Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade (ICDT), Casablanca; (iii) Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Dhaka; (iv) Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), Istanbul; (v) Islamic Solidarity Fund and its Waqf (ISF); (vi) OIC Union of News Agencies; and (vii) Islamic Fiqh Academy, Jeddah.

In pursuance of different OIC Resolutions on the subject, Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to OIC was established in Jeddah on 2 December 2019.

Pakistan has been tabling resolutions at the CFM on a wide range of important subjects including Jammu and Kashmir, peace and stability in South Asia, Islamophobia and protection of Islamic holy sites. These unanimously-adopted resolutions are a manifestation of OIC’s support for Pakistan on issues of critical importance to Muslim countries.